A Plot to Make Most Terrible Things Happen
by Firechild20
Summary: Dobby was a simple house elf until he overheard something he shouldn't have. Dobby's tale of what occurred on the day he heard of a plot to make most terrible things happen.


Dobby the House Elf had never known the taste of freedom. He had never been given the opportunity to make decisions for himself or do the tasks he wanted. Instead, he spent his life carrying the orders of others. For many years now, he had been in the service of the Malfoy family, a clan of rich, purebloods who were anything but kind to Dobby. Each and every one of them believed themselves superior to other wizards so it was no wonder they looked down so far upon Dobby.

His days were spent cleaning the family's grand mansion and answering to every beck and call of his masters. Much of his time was spent under constant fear of physical or verbal abuse, though by now he was quite used to facing the unfair punishments.

"Dobby!" The cool voice of Lucius Malfoy stopped Dobby in his tracks. He suspected this was about to be such an instance. Hunching his shoulders in fear, he turned back to face his master. "This tea is cold."

"Really, Lucius. It's completely fine!" Master Lucius' guest said. Dobby recognized the man as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. This was far from the Minister's first visit to the house.

"It's most certainly not fine, Fudge. What good is a house elf if they can't even heat a simple cup of tea?"

"Well what good is it to be a wizard if one needs house elves to perform simple matters like heating tea for them?" the Minister chucked to himself. He took out his wand and lightly waved it at the cup. Almost instantly, translucent trails of stream began rising from the surface of the liquid. "There, see? No harm, no foul."

"No, no, Cornelius. The elf knows better. Dobby!" Lucius raised the black cane he carried with him and struck Dobby across the back with it. Pain shot through Dobby's back, causing him to cry out. The tiny house elf staggered as his vision tunneled from the pain. In a few moments, the pain subsided and he managed to squeak out a small apology.

"Dobby is most apologetic, sir. It will not happen again."

"You're right. It won't. And don't think that blow makes up for your actions. You have atonement left to pay."

Dobby's large ears flattened against his head in fear. He felt his round eyes welled with tears. Though he dreaded the pain of punishments, he hated disappointing his masters even more. Despite their cruelty, he felt incapable of betraying them. "Dobby will go punish himself strait away, sir." Lucius nodded lightly and Dobby took his cue to leave.

He hustled quickly into the kitchen, took the kettle of still hot water from the stove, and poured it across his hands. Whimpering Dobby, gingerly bandaged his own hands before setting to work at the rest of the day's chores.

The hours passed dreadfully slow as Dobby dusted surface after surface. He didn't mind the work, however, as long as it brought solitude. As day drew to darkness, another knock sounded on the front door. Dobby rushed to open the grand front doors and found a large strange man staring disdainfully down upon him. The man towered over Dobby in both height and width. Atop his pudgy body sat a head that looked far too small for the size of the rest of him. Dobby squinted at the man. He seemed familiar, though Dobby couldn't place exactly where he had seen him.

"Are you going me in, Elf, or not?"

"Of course, sir. Dobby will lead Master's guest to the sitting room. Master will be waiting there." Dobby did as he had described, but as he left to go get tea from the kitchen, Lucius stopped him.

"No tea will be necessary, Dobby. Continue with your work," Lucius turned his back on Dobby, but as an afterthought added, "I expect it to be done by the time my friend leaves, useless elf."

"Yes, sir. Dobby will go do his work, sir." As Dobby left the room and started up the stairs, he felt a burning curiosity grow within him. Though Dobby knew he shouldn't listen in on his master's conversation, the urge to do so was almost overpowering. He could simply get on to dusting the room next to the one occupied by Lucius and the guest. After all, his master hadn't told Dobby where to work. The thought of deceiving his master put a twist in Dobby's stomach and he knew he would have to punish himself for this later, but something even stronger was telling him he needed to listen to this conversation.

Quietly, Dobby crept into the dining room and set about to dusting the furniture there as quietly as he could. His large ears were expanded to full height as his masters words settled comfortably into them.

"Good to see you, Crabbe," Lucius said in a stuffy voice. Crabbe! Of course, that was one of the men who used to visit the house often during the dark times.

"And you, Lucius. It's been a long time," Crabbe said in a gruff voice, withdrawing his pudgy hand and slipping it in his pocket.

"Indeed it has. Too long. How is your wife doing?"

"She is doing very well, as is Vincent. From what he tells me, our sons have become rather close." The two were slowing making their way to the seats from what Dobby could hear.

"Well, Draco has always known how to choose his friends wisely. The Potter boy is not so fortunate in his taste, or lack thereof." Lucius made no attempt to hide the disgust in his voice. "He had the chance to be friends with Draco but unwisely declined."

"You mean to say you wanted your own son to befriend… him?" The last word was laced with disgust. "How could you encourage something so dangerous?"

"Keeping the Potter boy close would have made later plans easier. They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That is what I intended to do. People are always easiest to ensnare when bewitched under the false pretense of friendship.

"To Hell with that!" Crabbe shouted before Lucius hissed at him to be quiet. He instantly looked around suspiciously before speaking in a low whisper. "You know what he did. He caused the fall of our Dark Lord." At this point, Dobby had abandoned his chores and had his ear pressed tightly against the door so as to not miss anything.

"I am well aware of what he did, Crabbe. You seem to forget that my life was affected more than yours with his downfall," Lucius said in an offended voice.

"Then act like it. The Dark Lord was and still is my life. I am prepared to always uphold his ideals. To Hell with Harry Potter!" Dobby backed away from the door, as the sudden change in volume resonated painfully through his already sensitive ears.

Lucius spoke again, this time his voice seemed sharp and defensive. "Harry Potter's fate is not ours to decide. That will be left to the Dark Lord when he returns." These words forced a shiver down Dobby's spine. Dobby hated to think of the Dark Lord. During the time of his power, the house always seemed full of dark guests who yelled and spat at Dobby. He rarely had time to sleep due to the constant demand for services to the guests. "Somehow, Master Malfoy managed to be even crueler during those dark times. He yelled at Dobby for things Dobby had no control over," Dobby said aloud, suddenly remembering how much more terrible his life has been. Images flashed through Dobby's mind and his back seemed to ache simply from the memory of constant floggings.

On the day news came of the Dark Lord's defeat, anger and despair filled the house. Dobby remembered his master's screams of rage. The next weeks were even more terrible. Yet, as time passed, the house quieted. Guests no longer came, master seemed less angry, and Dobby was allowed to return to a normal workload.

Dobby snapped from his memory and pressed his ear against the door again. "Is that why you've called me here this evening, Lucius, to discuss impossible events?"

"It's not impossible, Crabbe," Malfoy said quietly.

"Then tell me how it works! I beg of you to offer me any possible explanation as to how one might return from the dead."

"If I didn't know better, Crabbe, I would say you didn't want the Dark Lord to return." Lucius' words fell like stones on smooth water. A silence descended on the room and Dobby could practically feel the tension between the two men through the door.

Finally Crabbe spoke in a soft dignified voice, "You know that isn't true. I have wanted nothing more than to see him return to power."

"That is why I called you here, because I thought you'd feel the same. Now listen to me. Before his downfall, the Dark Lord entrusted me with a great secret of his, one which would prevent his death in the case of bodily destruction."

"What might yield such immortality?"

Dobby heard footsteps echo across the marble floor as he assumed Lucius went to retrieve something. "This." It was at this time that Dobby wished he could see what his master was referring to. What object could be so terrible that it was able to return the Dark Lord? "I'm not quite sure how it works. He seemed to feel as though the details were unnecessary, but he did tell me all I needed to do was somehow slip this into the possession of a weak Hogwarts student. This object will do the rest."

"Do you know exactly what it will do? As much as I wish to see the Dark Lord return to power, I hesitate to attempt such a feat at unknown costs to my son. He does, after all, go to the school, as does your son. What if they are caught in the crossfire?" Crabbe asked.

Lucius pondered this for a moment. "The Dark Lord ensured me that no harm would come to our sons. This will somehow open the Chamber of Secrets. As you know, only mudbloods will be harmed by such an act. That is simply collateral damage none of us will be too sad to see."

Crabbe laughed at this, "Very well, Lucius. Proceed with the plan. I'll support you in the endeavor if anything goes awry." There was some shuffling of clothing as Dobby assumed Crabbe rose to leave. His heavy footsteps fell on the floor as he made his way toward the door. Thinking the conversation had ended, Dobby picked up some china and began polishing it. His ears perked again though when Crabbe spoke again as an afterthought.

"Tell me, Lucius, you said the Dark Lord will take care of Harry Potter himself. What will it be able to do to him?"

Dobby could practically see the smile in his master's voice. "Simple. The diary will take away those Potter finds dear until he makes himself vulnerable enough to the Dark lord himself. Once that happens, he'll kill him, as he should have done eleven years ago." The china fell from Dobby feeble grasp. He inhaled a sharp breath as intense shiver ran down his spine. He stumbled away from the door, shock clouding his senses.

"Harry Potter stopped the Dark Lord. Harry Potter helped saved Dobby from even worse punishments. Dobby cannot let Harry Potter come to harm. Dobby must go and warn him of the plot to make most terrible things happen!" Without bothering to clean up the shattered dishes, Dobby snapped his fingers and disapparated from the terrible place.


End file.
